Bellator FCBellator MMA (Bellator) is the 2nd largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in the USA and the largest tournament-based MMA organization in the world. Headquartered in Newport Beach, California, the company was formed in 2008 by Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. Bellator’s events are primarily structured around tournaments. The tournament winner is declared the number one contender in their respective weight class, and is awarded a check for $100,000 and a shot at the reigning Bellator champion. Bellator uses the motto “The Toughest Tournament In Sports” Bellator FC now airs on Spike TV Thursday nights!

It all started with Nate Marquardt discussing his hormone replacement therapy and explaining why he was pulled from the UFC on Versus 4 card in Pittsburgh two weeks ago.

From there, a storm of responses started from fighters both supporting and decrying what Marquardt said about his low testosterone and need for treatment to return to full health.

Former UFC champion B.J. Penn voiced his disproval through Twitter, and has largely been an opponent of all performance enhancing drugs throughout his career. The other major name that took opposition to Marquardt on that day was Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren.

The former Olympian took to his Twitter account and addressed Marquardt directly writing “you are a cheater, not once but frequently. Stop cheating, come to Bellator and I will crush you.”

Speaking further on the subject when appearing on MMAWeekly Radio, Askren took Marquardt to task for his statement about needing testosterone therapy. He believes the former UFC middleweight contender simply isn’t telling the truth about the situation.
“I think it’s pretty clear, he failed not one, but two tests. I think it becomes very, very clear when his coach Trevor Wittman is coming out and saying things that goes against what he’s doing. If your coach ain’t got your back, who’s got your back? I think it’s pretty clear to me as many excuses as he makes that he was cheating and this is not the first time he’s got caught,” Askren said.

“The worst thing about it is that he just keeps lying. Own up to it, be a man, take care of your responsibilities, you did wrong, you’ve got to admit to it.”

The other test that Askren is speaking about is a 2005 drug test that Marquardt failed following his UFC debut fight against Ivan Salaverry. The Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended Marquardt for five months after he tested positive for banned substances.

Askren, who was a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team that has gone through stringent drug testing throughout his collegiate and Olympic career, has seen cheating go on at many MMA gyms all over the world.
“It’s pretty obvious. I’ve been around the block. I travel a lot to gyms. I think cheating with performance enhancing drugs runs rampant in the MMA world, and I’m okay with that, that’s their decision,” Askren stated. “I wouldn’t do it. I think there are long-term ramifications in your career, and the fact that they’re choosing to take the easy way out as opposed to training themselves naturally, that’s also going to have an effect on them long-term, that they didn’t do it themselves, that they had something helping them.”

The former Missouri wrestler and NCAA All-American doesn’t even mind so much that fighters are taking performance enhancing drugs as much as they won’t own up to their mistakes when they get busted.
“What I have a real issue with is when someone gets caught, you’re supposed to be a grown man. You’re supposed to be a man and part of being a man is taking responsibility for your actions. When you get caught and you just constantly lie, and lie, and lie, it’s like come on dude, just own up, be a man,” said Askren.

As far as his beef with Nate Marquardt, Ben Askren has a very simple solution to offer the former UFC fighter.

“Bring it,” Askren said to Marquardt. “I want to be the best in the world and the only way to be the best in the world is to fight the people that are the best. Nate Marquardt, come on.

“He can’t beat wrestlers. He can’t beat a good wrestler. So I’ll take him down, I’ll wear him out, and hopefully for the fans around the world I will submit him so they don’t call me a blanket fighter.”

Whether the fight actually happens or not remains to be seen, but Askren doesn’t mind backing up his strong words in the cage, and he’s left an open invite for Marquardt to come to Bellator and challenge him.

I think Askren may be good enough to beat Nate down the track, but Nate has better Jitz, will be tough as hell to take down at WW and has far superior stand up. I would have to think Nate will be the favourite here and rightfully so. A fight I would love to see no doubt. That or Nate staying at middle and fighting Lombard.

I think Askren may be good enough to beat Nate down the track, but Nate has better Jitz, will be tough as hell to take down at WW and has far superior stand up. I would have to think Nate will be the favourite here and rightfully so. A fight I would love to see no doubt. That or Nate staying at middle and fighting Lombard.

So the same Nate that got badly owned by all wrestlers he's faced is suddenly a favorite against the most accomplished wrestler in MMA history?

Askren's wrestling creds make the likes of Sonnen, Koscheck, Hughes etc. look like dirt. He is an Olympic runner up in freestyle wrestling, which is a far broader and more competitive style than Greco. There is a Greco Olympic medalist in MMA (Lindland), but Askren is the only freestyler in MMA with creds that high. The next best thing are "almost" olympians like King Mo and Koscheck.

And I know Nate's a MW cutting down more and may be "bigger" supposedly (though in his past fights we've seen that is just bodybuider mass and not functional grappling power). But IMO even that doesn't matter when the fight is actually at 170. If he comes in bigger, he also comes in far more drained and tired. If he cuts muscle mass, then he's no longer bigger. Askren is as big a WW as is healthy anyway.

Personally I think Nate the mediocre Marquart would get owned quite badly and Askren would finally have a high level win under his belt. Which is why Nate will probably duck this fight even if it gets offered to him.

So the same Nate that got badly owned by all wrestlers he's faced is suddenly a favorite against the most accomplished wrestler in MMA history?

Askren's wrestling creds make the likes of Sonnen, Koscheck, Hughes etc. look like dirt. He is an Olympic runner up in freestyle wrestling, which is a far broader and more competitive style than Greco. There is a Greco Olympic medalist in MMA (Lindland), but Askren is the only freestyler in MMA with creds that high. The next best thing are "almost" olympians like King Mo and Koscheck.

And I know Nate's a MW cutting down more and may be "bigger" supposedly (though in his past fights we've seen that is just bodybuider mass and not functional grappling power). But IMO even that doesn't matter when the fight is actually at 170. If he comes in bigger, he also comes in far more drained and tired. If he cuts muscle mass, then he's no longer bigger. Askren is as big a WW as is healthy anyway.

Personally I think Nate the mediocre Marquart would get owned quite badly and Askren would finally have a high level win under his belt. Which is why Nate will probably duck this fight even if it gets offered to him.

Just to be clear, he didn't win a silver medal at the Olympics (not discrediting Askren at all, just saying).

Just to be clear, he didn't win a silver medal at the Olympics (not discrediting Askren at all, just saying).

Which is why i said runner-up and not (silver) medalist. It's common terminology, runner up in Olympics means 4th place.

EDIT: just realized he was a quarter-finalist in 2008, not 4th place (semi-finalist), so you got me but still pretty huge achievement and unparalleled in MMA.

Also forgot to mention he is a Wrestling World Championship gold medalist the following year, which is almost as good as an Olympics gold. To put it in perspective, even Cael Sanderson only managed to get a Silver at the World championships, and he is considered the greatest wrestler of all time alongside Dan Gable.

Personally I think if Askren kept up training he could still make Olympic gold in 2012, 08 was just his first attempt and he choked.

As for the likes of Marquardt, I think he'll make him look downright ridiculous on the ground. In addition to his obvious wrestling edge Askren is already a brown belt in BJJ, and Marquardt is a one-dimensional black belt with nothing off his back.

Which is why i said runner-up and not (silver) medalist. It's common terminology, runner up in Olympics means 4th place.

EDIT: just realized he was a quarter-finalist in 2008, not 4th place (semi-finalist), so you got me but still pretty huge achievement and unparalleled in MMA.

Also forgot to mention he is a Wrestling World Championship gold medalist the following year, which is almost as good as an Olympics gold. To put it in perspective, even Cael Sanderson only managed to get a Silver at the World championships, and he is considered the greatest wrestler of all time alongside Dan Gable.

Personally I think if Askren kept up training he could still make Olympic gold in 2012, 08 was just his first attempt and he choked.

As for the likes of Marquardt, I think he'll make him look downright ridiculous on the ground. In addition to his obvious wrestling edge Askren is already a brown belt in BJJ, and Marquardt is a one-dimensional black belt with nothing off his back.

His Olympic Freestyle finish isn't exactly unparalleled in MMA. Mark Coleman had the same finish and had a silver in the worlds at freestyle. Daniel Cormier actually made it one step further than Askren and finished 4th in the Olympics and had a bronze at the worlds in freestyle.

Askren's World Championship gold in 2009 wasn't in freestyle wrestling. It was in No-Gi Grappling. Not saying it wasn't impressive, but beating Nick Ring and Jacob Volkman in grappling isn't the same as beating the best in the world in freestyle wrestling.

Not trying to take anything away from Askren. He's a great wrestler and I expect big things from him in MMA. But his international wrestling career isn't exactly unparalleled in MMA, even when only considering freestyle wrestlers who are currently active.

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His Olympic Freestyle finish isn't exactly unparalleled in MMA. Mark Coleman had the same finish and had a silver in the worlds at freestyle. Daniel Cormier actually made it one step further than Askren and finished 4th in the Olympics and had a bronze at the worlds in freestyle.

Askren's World Championship gold in 2009 wasn't in freestyle wrestling. It was in No-Gi Grappling. Not saying it wasn't impressive, but beating Nick Ring and Jacob Volkman in grappling isn't the same as beating the best in the world in freestyle wrestling.

Not trying to take anything away from Askren. He's a great wrestler and I expect big things from him in MMA. But his international wrestling career isn't exactly unparalleled in MMA, even when only considering freestyle wrestlers who are currently active.

Lets remember that your wrestling credentials don't mean shit till you get in a ring and see how you can translate that into the MMA game. That being said Askren has shown so far in his career that he has had no problem utilising his wrestling.

I'd expect Askren to get the decision win here for sure. I'd much rather see Lombard fight Nate though, just because Lombard is so exciting to watch.